Even in the U.S., the performance drop is not universal. I live in an area which has some of the best performing public schools in the country.<p>These districts were established 40+ years ago, and middle class families of all races and backgrounds have access to purchase a home at a premium to enroll in them. In the district I'm currently moving into, the student body is disproportionately made up of a diverse body of Asian Americans that grow up in households that set high expectations and are very involved in their education.<p>However, in recent years, the school district has started shifting priority from measures of performance from standardized testing to the inclusion of specific racial groups in schools. In one of the board of education meetings, a board member mentioned that they're aiming to make the racial makeup of schools in the district reflect that of the area, which they described as "one third white, one third black, and one third hispanic".<p>Additionally, on teacher surveys given by the school system, all questions related to assessing academic performance of the students were phased out. Here are some of the questions that took their place:<p>9. How comfortable are you discussing race/ethnicity-related topics with your colleagues?<p>15. At your school, how valuable are the antiracist- and equity-focused professional development opportunities?<p>16. When a sensitive issue of diversity arises in class/at work, how easily can you think of strategies to address the situation?<p>8. How often are students given opportunities to learn about people from different races, ethnicities, or cultures?<p>10. At your school, how often are you encouraged to think more deeply about race-related topics?<p>14. When there are major news events related to race/ethnicity, how often do adults at your school talk about them with students?<p>In a boundary change in a nearby school district, the average bus route distance was increased overall, but diversity measures were improved. When parents protested the changes, they were depicted as a group of angry bigots in national news. That district is now experiencing what local news is calling "a bus crisis" where kids are not making it to school on time.<p>I'm hoping at some point we will snap back to reality and prioritize performance, but my expectation is that I'll need to set aside money for private school.